Apple Stores Will Now Decline to Repair iPhones Reported as Missing - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Stores Will Now Decline to Repair iPhones Reported as Missing

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers will now be alerted if an iPhone has been reported as missing in the GSMA Device Registry when a customer brings in the device to be serviced, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors.

repair iphone x
If an Apple technician sees a message in their internal MobileGenius or GSX systems indicating that the device has been reported as missing, they are instructed to decline the repair, according to Apple's memo shared on Monday. The new policy should help to reduce the amount of stolen iPhones brought to Apple for repair.

The GSMA Device Registry is a global database designed for customers to report their devices as missing in the event of loss or theft. Devices in the database are identified by their unique IMEI number. An iPhone's IMEI is listed in the Settings app under General > About.

Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are already unable to service an iPhone if the customer cannot disable Find My iPhone, and this policy will help to prevent stolen iPhones that never had Find My iPhone enabled from being repaired by Apple. In the event your iPhone is lost or stolen, be sure to read our guide on the next steps to take.

Popular Stories

Apple Victoria Gardens 2

Two Apple Stores in U.S. and Australia Will Soon Be Temporarily Closed

Wednesday April 8, 2026 2:56 pm PDT by
Apple Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California will be temporarily closed for renovations starting the evening of Saturday, April 11. Apple Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, California The store will reopen in the fall, according to a notice on Apple's website spotted by MacRumors reader Kate. No specific date was provided, but Apple will likely aim to resume business ahead of...
Apple Towson Town Center

Apple is Permanently Closing Three U.S. Stores in June

Thursday April 9, 2026 9:30 am PDT by
Apple today announced it will be permanently closing three retail stores in the U.S. in June, including Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut, Apple North County in Escondido, California, and Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland. Apple Towson Town Center in Maryland Apple issued the following statement to MacRumors:At Apple, we are constantly striving to deliver exceptional service...
Apple Towson Town Center

Apple is Closing a Unionized Store in the U.S. and the Union is 'Outraged'

Friday April 10, 2026 7:25 am PDT by
Apple on Thursday announced that it will be permanently closing three of its retail stores in the U.S. in June, and one of them was unionized. Apple Towson Town Center in Maryland Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland is one of the three stores being shuttered, with no replacement store planned. The staff at this location became Apple's first retail employees in the U.S. to unionize in ...

Top Rated Comments

54 months ago
Why wasn’t this protocol from the start?

What’s the point of having a “missing phone” feature if it doesn’t do anything.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
happydude Avatar
54 months ago
hope they also alert the original owner it's been located vs. giving it back to the person who brought it in. otherwise...what's the point. the phone is still not in the original owners hands, fixed or not. police should prob be notified too, I'd think.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago

Dumb policy. A used stolen/lost phone can be legitimately purchased.
Nope. Since the person who sold it did not legally own it, no one down the line can have purchased it legitimately.

By the time it reaches a repair centre, the previous owner of a stolen or lost phone would have already moved on with life.
Making it harder to sell stolen iPhones makes them less valuable, and discourages thefts, just as Activation Lock has done.

This is marketing for morons like their green initiatives.
No, this is a good thing for consumers. I am curious why it took so long to implement, and I think it is also interesting that it seems carriers do not prevent these devices on their networks.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago
Why did this take a decade?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UltimateSyn Avatar
54 months ago

Should also include remote detonation feature. If a thief jack’s my phone from my hand I can blow it up.
“We’ve removed the Lightning port in order to make room for 200mg of C4 in every new iPhone.”
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
54 months ago
This is great. I hope it also bricks the iPhone and notifies the original owner.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)